Operation Dry Water (ODW) is pleased to join boating safety advocates nationwide as part of National Safe Boating Week, May 17-23, to remind boat operators and passengers of the dangers associated with boating under the influence.
LEXINGTON, Ky., May 20, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- As the summer boating season kicks off, Operation Dry Water (ODW) is pleased to join boating safety advocates nationwide as part of National Safe Boating Week, May 17-23, to remind boat operators and passengers of the dangers associated with boating under the influence. This observance week is the annual kick-off of the Safe Boating Campaign, a global awareness effort encouraging boaters to make the most of their boating adventure by being responsible.
Boating under the influence (BUI) remains a leading cause of fatal recreational boating incidents across the United States, according to the 2023 U.S. Coast Guard Recreational Boating Statistics. Alcohol and drug use severely hinder judgment, balance, coordination and reaction time — making impaired boating a dangerous and potentially deadly choice.
"National Safe Boating Week gives us a chance to reset and focus on what really matters — protecting lives on the water," said Joe McCullough, chair of the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA). "We urge everyone heading out this season to put safety first: wear a life jacket, complete a boating safety course, and never boat under the influence."
Operation Dry Water continues its proactive efforts to reduce impaired boating by raising public awareness about the dangers of BUI and supporting the enforcement of boating laws nationwide. Impairment greatly diminishes a person's ability to operate a boat safely, putting everyone on the water at risk.
Now in its 17th year, Operation Dry Water will hold its annual heightened awareness and enforcement weekend July 4-6, 2025. During this three-day initiative, officers across the country will be out in force to identify and remove impaired operators from waterways, helping prevent tragedies before they occur. Local, state and federal agencies are encouraged to register and participate at operationdrywater.org.
Operation Dry Water provides a variety of free resources for both law enforcement and outreach partners to use in educating boaters about the dangers of boating under the influence. By working together with boating safety advocates nationwide, Operation Dry Water aims to reduce incidents and fatalities related to impaired boating.
The National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) coordinates the Operation Dry Water campaign, in partnership with law enforcement agencies and outreach partners nationwide, through a grant from the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund administered by the U.S. Coast Guard.
Operation Dry Water (ODW) is a year-round boating under the influence awareness and enforcement campaign with the mission of reducing the number of alcohol- and drug-related incidents and fatalities through increased recreational boater awareness and by fostering a stronger and more visible deterrent to alcohol use on the water.
Media Contact
Taylor Kirshe, National Association of State Boating Law Administrators, 859.225.7376, [email protected], https://www.nasbla.org/home
SOURCE National Association of State Boating Law Administrators
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